With more than 11,000 people turning 65 daily in the U.S., elderly care faces growing challenges, including a shortage of workers. To help, MIT researchers developed E-BAR, a mobile eldercare robot.
E-BAR, which stands for the Elderly Bodily Assistance Robot, works like robotic handlebars, following users as they walk. It provides support, helping them stand, sit, or lean on its arms. If a person starts to fall, side airbags inflate to catch them.
Researchers designed E-BAR to reduce falls, the leading cause of injury in older adults.
E-BAR is a robotic support system that follows users as they move, acting like handlebars for stability. It allows people to walk independently or lean for assistance, lifting them from sitting to standing. If they start to fall, E-BAR’s side airbags quickly inflate to catch them.
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Researchers designed E-BAR to reduce falls, the leading cause of injury for adults 65 and older.
Many older adults underestimate fall risks and avoid physical aids or overestimate them, leading to reduced mobility. MIT’s E-BAR aims to solve this by providing robotic handlebars that offer stability and support anytime, anywhere.
E-BAR is remote-controlled, but future versions will be fully autonomous and more compact, making it easier to use in small spaces. With a growing shortage of caregivers and a rising elderly population, eldercare robotics is seen as a major challenge by researchers.
E-BAR’s designers, Roberto Bolli and Harry Asada, will present their development at the IEEE Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) later this month.
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MIT’s Asada group develops robotic aides to support the elderly, including fall prediction algorithms, robotic walkers, and wearable airbags.
Their latest project, E-BAR, is designed to provide physical support, prevent falls, and move safely with users, without a restrictive harness, offering more independence.
Since older adults often dislike wearing assistive devices, E-BAR is built to be unobtrusive. It supports body weight, assists with walking, and prevents falls while allowing users to step away freely.
The team designed E-BAR for home use and care facilities, ensuring it fits through doors, allows full strides, and helps with balance, posture, and sitting-to-standing transitions, making everyday movement safer and easier.
E-BAR has a 220-pound base designed to support a person’s weight without tipping or slipping. It moves on omnidirectional wheels, allowing it to glide in any direction without turning.
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Its articulated body consists of 18 interconnected bars, functioning like a foldable crane to help users stand up and sit down smoothly. The U-shaped handlebars provide support, allowing users to lean for stability.
Each arm is fitted with soft, inflatable airbags that instantly catch a person if they fall, preventing injury. E-BAR is the first robot to do this without a harness or wearable devices, offering greater freedom and mobility.
E-BAR was tested in a lab with an older adult, demonstrating its ability to assist with daily tasks like picking up objects, reaching shelves, and getting out of a bathtub—all while maintaining balance.
The robot is designed for elderly individuals with moderate muscle strength who need extra support for daily activities. Its ability to move smoothly and provide stability makes it a promising tool for aging at home.
Researchers find its real-world potential exciting, as it could enhance mobility and independence for many seniors.
E-BAR’s current design does not include fall prediction. Still, another project in Asada’s lab, led by Emily Kamienski, is developing machine-learning algorithms to create a robot that adapts to a person’s real-time fall risk.
Asada envisions a range of assistive technologies that offer different levels of support as mobility changes with age. Since eldercare needs evolve, the goal is to provide continuous and seamless assistance tailored to each individual.
Journal Reference:
- Bolli, Roberto; Asada, Harry. Elderly Bodily Assistance Robot (E-BAR): A Robot System for Body-Weight Support, Ambulation Assistance, and Fall Catching, Without the Use of a Harness. Paper.
